Get ready for Scarborough’s first ever Food and Drink Festival

Scarborough’s first-ever food and drink festival will be taking place in May.

The free festival will feature cookery demonstrations and a number of stalls selling local produce.

It has been organised by The Scarborough News and The Yorkshire Post Events Teams alongside Scarborough Council and Welcome to Yorkshire and sponsored by Scarborough TEC.

Filey-born James Mackenzie, the Chef/Patron of the Michelin Starred Pipe & Glass Inn, near Beverley is just one of those taking part.

Scarborough’s West Pier will be transformed on Saturday and Sunday May 12 and 13 into a collection of stands, stalls and demonstration places showcasing the finest local produce and talents of the chefs.

“We have a live demo kitchen as part of the weekend’s festivities hosted by Stephanie Moon.

“We have already taken bookings for a variety of stands ranging from street food, market stall treats to take home and a selection of drinks from real ales to your favourite gins.

“We still have availability for stands so if you are interested in making a booking please contact Rosie O’hana – rosie.ohana@jpress.co.uk 0113 414 6384.”

Janet Deacon, tourism and corporate marketing manager for Scarborough Council and area director for Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “The Yorkshire coast is experiencing a taste revolution with a whole range of new products being developed for us all to taste, from gin and whiskey distilleries and micro breweries to award winning fine dining restaurants and food outlets.

The Scarborough Food & Drink Festival will add another superb event to our year-round calendar of events and festivals and enable us to showcase the best of what’s on offer along the Yorkshire Coast and further afield”.

Cllr Helen Mallory, deputy leader of Scarborough Council, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with The Scarborough News and Yorkshire Post to bring the Scarborough Food & Drink Festival to Scarborough. Many local food and drink producers are inspired by the region’s bounty of best of british produce, fresh from land and sea and this event will provide them with an ideal opportunity to showcase their products to visitors and residents all along the Yorkshire Coast”.

One of the key aims of the event is to promote local products, such as seafood, which is what Graham Stork of GWS Seafoods does in his business.

He said: “We’re trying to promote the use of lobster and crab from our own shores. The fresher the product, the better the taste.”

Ann Hardy, Principal of Scarborough TEC, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to support the inaugural Scarborough Food & Drink Festival. The industry is vital to the future economy of Scarborough and our region and this is going to be a fantastic way of us all joining together to celebrate the very best the sector has to offer.

“Hospitality and Catering provision has always had an excellent reputation at Scarborough TEC. With our recent relocation and the opening of our new restaurant, NINETEEN09, at Filey Road we’re excited for the future of Scarborough TEC.

“We will be officially opening our new campus on March 1st with a special dinner being created by a host of Michelin Starred and award-winning alumni of the college, which is a true testament to the excellence we foster in the food and drink industry.

“The Food & Drink Festival promises to be a fantastic weekend and we will also be opening up our new campus on Saturday 14th May so visitors can take a look at our wonderful facilities, meet the team and find out all about our plans for the future.”